HUMAN CONNECTION//BAY AREA'S BEST DOG PHOTOGRAPHER JESSE FREIDIN

It's hard for most people to understand, but I don't photograph dogs. I photograph relationships.
Relationships are intriguing to me. They are inspiring, full of energy, dynamic, real, electric, ever changing. You never know what to expect, especially when one of the pieces of a relationship is an animal. Animals relate with a wordlesness that is hard to find anywhere else. Whereas we humans relate with a flurry of words. Who would have imagined that such different beings could communicate in an extremely intimate way, without a linguistic common ground. No written language to share, no common stories to tell each other. That silence is the heart of the human/animal bond, and it constantly inspires me as I look through the lens of my camera.

A family I photographed at the beginning of the Summer really exemplifies this connection. The dogs trusted me, the girl trusted me, and within about 10 minutes we were communicating, all 5 of us, in a way I would have never expected. We were talking about our love for dogs, watching them care and play with us, and sharing a truly magical few hours.